Antonio Brown calls out FBI Director Kash Patel over Charlie Kirk "valhalla" comments after tragic death

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is one of the major names from the football community to express interest in the ongoing investigation into Charlie Kirk's assassination.

After Kirk was shot dead on Wednesday, the FBI launched a manhunt for the suspected shooter. FBI Director Kash Patel, while providing an update on the investigation on Friday, shared an emotional message for the late political commentator.

"To my friend Charlie Kirk. Rest now, brother. We have the watch. And I'll see you at Valhalla," Patel said to the press.

Brown called out Patel for his "Valhalla" comment, writing on X:

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"Valhalla? was that ni*** Kratos?"

Brown is not the only person to take exception to the comment, as the FBI director has faced widespread backlash on social media for his speech.

Apart from calling out Patel, Brown shared a report from Fox News correspondent Brooke Singman about 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who is in custody for the suspected shooting of Kirk. According to Singman, Robinson lived with his transgender partner.

"Now this is making sense," Brown wrote, sharing the post.

Robinson, a Utah native, was arrested and charged with the assassination of Kirk on Friday. The 22-year-old reportedly turned himself in after the FBI's manhunt started on Thursday.

NFL says decision to honor Charlie Kirk rests with teams ahead of Sunday's games

The NFL observed a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk ahead of Thursday night's game between the Green Bay Packers and Washington Commanders. However, the league has announced the teams will have the freedom to decide if they want to follow suit ahead of Sunday's slate of games.

"Last night’s moment was the league’s decision. It’s up to the clubs for this Sunday’s games," the league's statement read.

There has been controversy involving the Carolina Panthers, as a member of the team’s communications department reportedly questioned the sympathy for Kirk after his death. The team has reportedly fired the person.

"The views expressed by our employees are their own and do not represent those of the Carolina Panthers," the team said in a social media statement. "We do not condone violence of any kind. We are taking this matter very seriously and have accordingly addressed it with the individual."

It'll be interesting to see if other teams observe a moment's silence to honor Kirk on Sunday amid the controversy surrounding the tragic incident.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash